Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?’ asked the Lord of Adam in the Garden of Eden. And Adam replied, ‘The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.’ Thus they confessed the sins of others and ignored their own, and the curse fell upon them instead of blessing.

Someone yelling, ?Let?s play ball,? officially announces spring. Springtime and baseball seem to go together, as if God created springtime just for the national pastime.

Something about that first baseball game seems to shake away all the gloomy aspects of the past winter. As soon as Old Man Winter strikes out for the last time, good old springtime steps up to the plate and a new game is afoot.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” -Philippians 4:6

Perhaps no other hymn has ministered so much comfort and consolation as this simple but meaningful message of hope and cheer. As with many of our hymns, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” was a result of much grief in the life of its author, Joseph Medlicott Scriven.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Wonder…a sense of wonder. Isn’t that where we all end up when we consider our God, His creation, the works of His mighty hand?

I once had an office mate at work with whom I did this wondering out loud. One day I was talking about one thing in particular that I wondered about when she suddenly burst out with, “Bill, you just wonder TOO MUCH!”

In the church many are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. If you do not like what I am saying, I want to ask you something.

Maisey didn’t know how long it had been since she last set foot on Topsail Island. When she left all those years ago, she had no intention of returning.

In the end, all it took was one simple phone call to bring her back.

“Is this the granddaughter of Jean Anderson, of Topsail Beach, North Carolina?”

If you’ve been a parent for any time at all, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that your child came into the world with an insatiable faculty for evil. Even before birth, your baby’s little heart was already programmed for sin and selfishness. The inclination toward depravity is such that, given free reign, every baby has the potential to become a monster.

Moments of magic, sounds of laughter and memories etched in hearts are what lifetimes are built on. All these words seem like out of a fantasy book written by some single adult that knows nothing of parenting and yet this is what our homes are missing, no more magic moments or sounds of laughing. When our home life is fulfilled then we live in divine joy, joy that sustains the day, makes the morrow easier and eases away yesterday.

A "Pass-It-Along" is defined here as anything worth "passing along" to friends, family, co-workers, etc. Some I receive as email; some I find hither and thither on the web. Enjoy and pass it along!

I suppose these would fall into the category of "Home Remedies".

• Did You Know that drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately-- without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers."

• Did you know that Colgate toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns.

• Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.

• Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 Tablespoon of horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.

• Sore throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.

• Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly-- even though the product was never been advertised for this use.

• Honey remedy for skin blemishes ... Cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.

• Listerine therapy for toenail fungus. Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.

• Easy eyeglass protection... To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear nail polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.

• Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer ... If menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground instantly.

• Smart splinter remover. Just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue-All over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.

• Hunt's tomato paste boil cure ...cover the boil with Hunt's tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.

• Balm for broken blisters... To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine. a powerful antiseptic.

• Vinegar to heal bruises ... Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.

• Kills fleas instantly...Dawn dishwashing liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Good-bye fleas.

• Rainy day cure for dog odor ...Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.

• Eliminate ear mites. All it takes is a few drops of Wesson corn oil in your cat's ear...Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.

• Quaker Oats for fast pain relief... It's not for breakfast any more! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.

Peter the Great, Czar of all Russia, and in some respects the mightiest monarch of his day, used to make shoes like a common cobbler, that he might enter into sympathy with his people and help them to realize that labour is not menial, but honorable and full of dignity. It was a great stoop from the throne of Russia to a cobbler’s bench, but I will tell you of a greater.